


Unlikely Perfection

by cherryflesh



Category: The Jungle Book - All Media Types
Genre: Hopeful Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sheregheera
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-09-02 04:52:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8651722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryflesh/pseuds/cherryflesh
Summary: Bagheera is badly hurt and Shere Khan agrees to take care of him... for a price. (Warning! Shere Khan is really ruthless and, um, rapey.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is a REALLY old fic of mine that I found. Thought I'd share, because Shere Khan and Bagheera is such a cute couple. Please excuse any clumsy writing - it's really old. Anyway, hope you enjoy! Comments are sugar for the soul. <3

Bagheera barely had the strength to crawl into the cooling shade before he collapsed in a heap. The wound on his paw refused to heal and it was impossible for him to hunt. For weeks it had been like that, and now he was sure that he would, in fact, die. His fur was matted, his ribs clearly showing… and he was many miles from home. It was his curiosity, he decided, that had led to this. Why he had felt the need to go exploring beyond his territory he didn’t know, but here he was. The concept of dying alone had never been a pressing issue up until now, and he found that it was by far the most unpleasant feeling he had ever experienced. He sighed and rested his head against his healthy paw.

”Ah. There you are.”

The cold voice resounded from above him and he slowly rolled over to the side and gazed up at Shere Khan’s imposing features. The yellow eyes regarded him with lazy interest. Bagheera closed his eyes, sure that he was going to get eaten. They hadn’t been very close friends, even if Bagheera had considered the bigger cat to be one, but the unfortunate incident with Mowgli had caused an even bigger rift between them.

”I will not beg for my life,” he whispered, his throat dry from the lack of water and food.

”A pity. I had so looked forward to it,” Shere Khan replied and turned to walk away. Bagheera, suddenly terrified of being alone, opened his green eyes.

”Wait!” he croaked. Khan turned slowly.

”Yes?”

”Don’t leave me.”

The silence, pregnant with emotions, lasted for several minutes, during which the exhausted panther closed his eyes again. A blow from a mighty paw startled him and he mewled pathetically.

”Look at me!” the tiger snarled, flexing his claws. ”You have three choices: either I leave you here to die, a slow and agonizing death, no doubt, or I’ll kill you now, swiftly… that is, if you ask me nicely.”

”I hope I like the third option.” Bagheera wheezed with a trace of his former self. Khan smirked.

”Perhaps you will. I would take you back to my cave at Howling Rock, hunt for both of us until you are well enough to do it yourself, give you my protection… and in return I expect you to show me some gratitude.”

”What do you want from me?” Bagheera couldn’t keep the tremble out of his voice. He told himself it was the weakness, the starvation, but in truth he didn’t like the way the tiger was looking at him.

”I’m sure you remember the games we used to play as cubs.” Khan smirked. ”Do not pretend to have forgotten, or I may feel the need to refresh your memory here and now.”

Bagheera would have run had his legs carried him. As it was he could only lie helpless at Khan’s paws, shaking in fear. The memories surfaced like a rotten cadaver. Bets lost had been paid in full, and Khan had been eager to take his pound of flesh every time. And in the end, so had Bagheera.

”I- I remember…” he managed, then pure anxiety forced him the next question out of him. ”How long, I mean how much, I mean how many times will you… will I…”

”I will have you any time and in any way I feel like until the day you die.” Khan stated, leaving no room for negotiations. ”Now choose. My patience is at an end.” Bagheera hesitated, but panicked when Khan sneered down at him and turned away.

”I choose you!” he blurted out and fought his way in half sitting position. Khan turned, and odd gleam of triumph in his eyes, and circled the black cat slowly, taking his time.

”Good…good…” he said, his voice smooth as silk on his former friend’s nerves. Suddenly he bit down on Bagheera’s neck until he howled in pain, fighting back the urge to dominate, to penetrate, or to let his teeth slice through flesh and tendons, snapping bones and quell the howls… instead he let go and enjoyed his victim’s whimpers as he collapsed against him. The he took care to maneuver him, draping him across his broad back. The panther weighed next to nothing and hung limply all the way to Khan’s caves. Deep inside Khan allowed him to slide down, the cold stone soothing to the weak cat. Bagheera sank down into the darkness and Khan watched him for awhile before disappearing into the jungle.

When Bagheera awoke he was disoriented. Where was he? It was dark and the stone told him that he was in a cave of some sort… and the scent… Shere Khan! It all came rushing back to him, the meeting, the deal, great Moon above, the deal..! How could he live through that again, how would he survive it? If Khan had been less than tender in joinings as a cub, how would he be as a ruthless adult, consumed by thoughts of revenge? As long as Bagheera had known the tiger he couldn’t remember ever seeing him with a female. So badly worked up was he that he tried to crawl deeper into the cave as he felt Khan’s scent grow stronger outside.

”Come now, don’t be shy.” Shere Khan’s voice was soft and deadly. ”I’ve brought something for you.” And Bagheera could suddenly smell the dead deer, freshly killed. The metallic scent of blood made his mouth water. Perhaps… perhaps this was not a cruel joke at his expense. Perhaps the tiger meant to help him. As it turned out, that was the case. When Bagheera limped forward to the dead animal he noticed Khan sprawling on a rock shelf. He stopped himself, unsure what to do. Would Khan eat first? But the tiger inclined his head graciously.

”Eat,” he murmured. ”I enjoy watching you.”

And so Bagheera ate, shyly at first, then with abandon as his hunger overcame him. The great tiger’s amused chuckles ceased to disturb him.

The next time Bagheera awoke he stared right into a pair of yellow eyes. He scrambled away, startled, and Khan sneered and pushed a few leaves towards him. ”Press these against your injured paw,” he ordered and his patient obeyed.

Over the next few weeks his paw healed and he slowly got better. He was still weak, but he could move around the cave. During daytime he curled up against Shere Khan, who sometimes draped a giant paw across him. It made him feel oddly safe. And so came the night when the panther woke up alone.

”Shere?” he called softly and was answered by a deep growl from somewhere in the shadows. The growled warned him, told him to stay away, and normally he would obey without question, but… avoiding further thought he padded over to the darkest part of the cavern, where no moonlight reached. ”What’s wrong?” he whispered. The voice caught him off guard, being closer to him than he had anticipated.

”Lie on your belly.” Khan said, voice velvet soft with deadly undertones.

”Khan, please… I’m not well yet…” he said, but knew that pleading wouldn’t help him. Another growl from Khan made him position himself on his belly, hind legs apart and tail slightly tilted to the side. He swallowed and tried to remind himself that he was a grown jungle cat now, but fear drowned him and he couldn’t hold back a terrified whimper when the large tiger bit down on his neck and held him still as he positioned himself behind him. ”I’m begging you – please don’t – I’ll do anything – give me time..!” he whispered desperately and Shere Khan chuckled darkly.

”Isn’t this interesting. I own you, Bagheera. What else could you possibly offer me?” Sadistic amusement dripped from every syllable and Bagheera racked his brains for an answer. He found nothing, and closed his eyes in despair.

”I have nothing else… except my gratitude,” he said and shivered as Shere Khan dragged a sandpaper tongue across his neck.

”And haven’t I been generous?” Khan murmured against Bagheera’s fur. ”I have given you ample time to heal.” Bagheera nodded, frightfully aware of the truth of that, yet still unable to keep from trembling in his benefactor’s grip.

”Yes, Khan,” he answered meekly, trying and failing to keep still. ”I thank you.” He could feel the tiger bare his teeth in a slow, feral smile.

”Don’t mention it,” he hissed and nuzzled the skinny cat beneath him. ”Ah, but you’re shaking.” After a few moments he growled and tipped them over on their sides, trapping Bagheera in his giant paws and continued to nuzzle him and lick him. The panther was really shaking, but it slowly subsided, until he laid still and submissive beneath him.

Bagheera was shocked at the attention he received. Not only had Shere Khan spared him for now, he bathed him and treated him almost like a mate. He whispered his apologies and Shere Khan bit him, but not harshly.

”You do not remember our old games, then? You were like a female in heat,” he said, observing Bagheera closely.

”I – it – it hurt,” he replied, embarrassed. Shere Khan inclined his head.

”I imagine it did. You squirmed quite a bit, as I recall, and may well have hurt yourself.” Almost as an afterthought, he admitted: ”And perhaps I did not hold back as I well as I should.” He nipped Bagheera’s ear sharply. ”Look at me, little cat! Do not hide your green eyes from me!” Bagheera yelped and looked up at him, blinking and trembling.

”I – I remember, Khan! We all played at being mates one summer, didn’t we? It was hot and humid, and we paired up out of curiosity. All of us did. We made nests and dens and hunted and gathered. And then… we… ” he trailed off, could go no further while looking into those burning amber eyes.

”You suggested we should have cubs,” Khan continued mercilessly. ”I merely agreed. The first few times, as you may recall, I did nothing but rub against you while you made the most shameless sounds… no, do not look away. At last I claimed you, and you cried and cried. Do you think I have forgotten your pain? I forget nothing. Not even your pleasure.”

Bagheera jerked and tried in vain to sit up, beside himself of embarrassment and fear.

”You lie! I found no pleasure in that!” he howled and tried to scramble away. Shere Khan roared and captured him in a mighty paw.

”Lying little cat!” Khan hissed and swiped at him, pressed the struggling cat into the stone floor of the cave. ”Do you want me to show you the truth of it? I shall! Your cries shall echo in this cave for moons to come!” He pressed the terrified panther down on his belly, positioning himself. Bagheera yowled and struggled, panic breaking inside of him at every breath.

”No! No! Please, I didn’t mean it, I didn’t! I enjoyed it, I confess it! I beg you, stop! Don’t hurt me!”

But this time Shere Khan didn’t stop. When he pressed inside Bagheera lost his words and only screamed, breaking his claws against the hard, unyielding stone as he struggled to get away. Shere Khan roared his victory and held the flailing panther still to meet his violent thrusts. The mind-numbing pain soon gave way to an insistent need that very nearly quelled all fear left in his veins. He moaned softly and began to move as the sensation of being completely and utterly filled began to burn him. He heard Shere Khan’s dark chuckle above him and he mewled and arched back against him. It took only a few more thrusts before the tiger had sent them both over the edge, Bagheera writhing and shaking.

When he came to a second time, it was in the cool darkness of the cave, where they had slept before. He was aching all over and the fur on the back of his hind legs were sticky. The fear was still there in the back of his mind, dark and ominous, but now he remembered.  
  


* * *

  
He padded, back arched and pushed his backside up against Shere Khan, who looked annoyed, suspicious and oddly curious.

”This is how they did it! I saw!” Bagheera said with enthusiasm. ”You’re supposed to push, and after a while we stop. And then we’ll have cubs!”

Shere Khan hunched over him and thrust, experimentally. Bagheera yowled loudly and Khan hissed. ”No, I’m supposed to sound like this!” Bagheera said quickly and continued to mewl and yowl like a female in heat. Khan said nothing, but continued to thrust and rub against him until Bagheera’s sound had turned genuine and Khan growled viciously as he emptied himself against him.

No cubs had come, but as the nights passed they forgot about them. Bagheera noticed that Khan had become edgier, more easily annoyed than usual. That night Khan mounted Bagheera for real, and Bagheera fled.  
  


* * *

  
Bagheera swallowed, ashamed of his cowardice.

”Khan?” he whispered and from the dark of the cave came a rumbling growl. ”I remember now. I confess to being yours, and I am sorry. Please forgive me.” He padded closer, careful to keep out of reach should the great tiger decide to lash out. ”Khan? Will you let me sleep beside you?” Traces of moonlight reflected off the large amber eyes slowly opening in the deep darkness. Moments later the tiger emerged from the shadows and regarded Bagheera coldly.

”You remember?” he asked and Bagheera nodded. Shere Khan circled him, tail swinging lazily from sided to side as he watched the panther. ”Indeed. And now?” Bagheera turned his gaze to the floor.

”What do you mean?” he whispered. The tiger growled.

”Have you accepted your… situation?” Bagheera shifted under the weight of the burning gaze. When the seconds passed Shere Khan stopped in front of him, waiting.

”Yes,” he said finally, voice barely above a whisper. The tiger nuzzled him, a low rumble vibrating in his chest. Bagheera relaxed, comforted by the sound.

After that they developed a pleasant routine. To Bagheera, at least mostly pleasant. He was now allowed to leave the cave, to follow Shere Khan on his hunt. When they hunted together they were surprisingly synced, and found that they complemented each others techniques nicely. Every other night Shere Khan mounted him, claimed him with deep, measured thrusts that had Bagheera wanton and begging. Bagheera noticed that Shere Khan never used more force than necessary, never hurting unless refused. And so Bagheera adhered to old jungle law and stopped fighting, submitted and obeyed as was his place. When he finally did so he observed a change in Shere Khan’s behavior towards him; whenever bad dreams or bad memories resurfaced to torment him Khan would smell his fear and demand nothing from him that night. Bagheera was grateful. Trust did not come easily in the beginning. Old fears haunted him frequently and made life with the tiger difficult to bear. But the more he submitted, the more he relinquished control Shere Khan rewarded him and gradually Bagheera came to understand that Shere Khan would not betray his trust. If the tiger gave his word the panther could rely on that as surely as the daystar rose in the East.

It was one late night, just before sunrise when they laid close together that Bagheera realized that he would have stayed even if no deal had existed between them. He watched the sleeping form of the tiger in wonder. Sleep did not come easily to him that day.

 

 

 

 


End file.
